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The Big O Hits Moscow
Tonight, newly crowned WBC Heavyweight Champion Oleg Maskaev will do battle with the relatively unknown Ugandan slugger Peter Okhello. The location of the bout is as much of a story as the fight itself, as it will mark the first time since the 1991 fall of the Iron Curtain that a world heavyweight championship will be held in Moscow. The bout will be held at the Olympiysky Sports Arena and initial reports state that the buzz for the fight in Moscow is tremendous.
Oleg Maskaev took possession of the WBC heavyweight title in impressive fashion when he knocked out Hasim Rahman four months ago in Las Vegas. This bout is being billed as a homecoming of sorts as Maskaev was born in Kazakhstan but spent his youth living in Moscow. Maskaev first laced up the gloves while serving in the Russian Army and soon became a staple on the national boxing team.
While Maskaev’s professional record is less than stellar, no one can doubt his new found dedication along with current win streak. In fact, it has been four years since his last loss, a setback that came at the hands of one Corey Sanders, who now is touring the country as Mike Tyson’s personal punching bag. Since that time, Maskaev has been on an undefeated tear with all but two of his wins coming by way of knockout.
Peter Okhello is about as well known in the general boxing population as the patagrium theory. Needless to say, the resume of the 6’4 Ugandan fighter now based out of Japan pales in comparison to that of Maskaev’s. Not to imply that The Big O has battled a throng of world beaters, but his CV does contain some legitimate contenders as well as a world champion.
The same cannot be stated for Okhello, whose 16 knockouts in 18 fights can be a bit deceptive. The fact is that in his nine year career, he only has 22 fights coupled with the realization that he has never won outside of Japan. One can only envision the fictional Rocky Balboa standing a better chance of toppling Maskaev. It should be mentioned that Okhello was the Ugandan amateur champion for five years running.
Peter Okhello may very well need a miracle to pull out a “Cinderella Man” type upset on Sunday night. Maskaev has the vastly superior edge in experience and benefits from living and training in the United States where the quality of heavyweight sparring partners is more plentiful than Okhello can find in Japan.
Let’s not overlook the fact that Okhello averages about two fights a year and his last bout was a unanimous victory over Bob Mirovic back in April. Scouting reports on Okhello have him as a plodding, hard punching heavyweight with below average footwork and decent conditioning for a man who carries a girth of 250 lbs. Unfortunately, short of knocking Maskaev out with a hard straight, the odds of Okhello winning seem insurmountable.
Oleg Maskaev is looking to make a statement in front of his countryman, friends, and family. This fight is the perfect showcase for the champion and there is little doubt as to why Okhello was hand picked as the opponent. Expect to see Maskaev break down the Ugandan heavyweight with precise body shots and thudding rights.
This fight is Maskaev’s to lose and given Okhello’s stylistic flaws, don’t expect that to happen. This is a great “stay busy/showcase” fight and should do well in popularizing Maskaev to a global audience.
Maskaev is 37 and time is running out on his tenure as a prize fighter. The Big O seems to be aware of this as he has already begun beating the drum for a unification bout with fellow eastern European IBF Champion, Wladimir Klitschko.
Of course, there still is the matter of his mandatory that will be decided in January with the rematch between Sam Peter and James Toney. Any one of those aforementioned bouts will be an exciting slugfest in my humble opinion and will only help bolster Maskaev’s position in boxing’s glamour division.
